Late model event draws 41 cars for top prize

Wednesday

May 22, 2013 at 12:01 AMMay 22, 2013 at 11:54 PM

Rocky Ragusa's Speed Week

Rocky Ragusa

There were 119 cars jammed into the pit area Saturday night at Fairbury American Legion Speedway. Included were 41 he UMP dirt car late models from seven states for the Sunoco American Late Model Series event. The long distance award goes to Allen Murray from San Antonio, Tex. Murray, driving a Bob Pierce racecar qualified 16th but had his troubles in his heat race and semi-feature and failed to make the show. Murray has indicated his plans to compete in this year’s UMP Summer National series if the funds are available. Wisconsin driver and 2006 Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame class member Pete Parker finished sixth in his heat where only the top four advanced. Parker finished second to Torin Mettille in one of the semi-features to get into the main event. Parker started 19th in the 30-lap showdown but dropped out early to finish 20th. Defending UMP late model national champion Brian Shirley was driving a car he put together for Tim Lance. Shirley qualified fourth fastest and won his heat race. Among drivers failing to make the feature were Jay Morris, Mike Provenzano, Steve Thorsten, Mike Mullvain, Phil Ausra, Dan Flessner and Alan Vochaska. The win went to Kevin Weaver, who is the winningest active late model driver at Fairbury with 41 wins. “Watching the races last week, it looked like the bottom was the place to be,” Weaver said in Victory Lane. “We set the car up for the bottom and it worked out. I have to thank all my sponsors, Jay Morris, and my crew for their help.” Lapped traffic slowed Shannon Babb’s momentum in the waning laps but he held on to finish second. “They took some of the banking out of the track, so it’s not as dominating on the top as it used to be,” Babb said. “The heat races were worth the price of admission and the feature was just as good. It was a fun race and the best one I have been in this year. You could run all over the place.” Chris Gaither surprised everyone by taking the fast time award for the modifieds. Gaither is driving a Calvin Coleman-built car with a Chuck Bull-powered motor. “The new C3 racecar worked great, Gaither said after qualifying. “We are starting to get the bugs worked out and I can’t thank Chuckie for the tremendous power.” Gaither finished second to Jeff Leka in his heat race but dropped out early in the feature. Jeff Curl started his night trialing eighth quickest. Curl won his heat race and by the luck of Gaither spinning the wheel Curl started on the pole. Curl took off from the field, to score his second consecutive win. “We have a new shock package on the car,” Curl said. “This makes two wins with the new car. We have found something that’s working. To pull away from the competition here tonight, it shows we have a strong car.” After experiencing motor problems with his own car, Jeb Friedman drove the car of brother-in-law T.D. Burger in the semi. Friedman finished in seventh but failed to make the feature. An infrequent visitor to Fairbury, Jamie Lomax won his heat race and took fourth in the feature. Lomax said later in the night that he liked the new layout of the track and would be returning. Tommy Duncan, who calls Peoria Speedway his home track, might have found a new home. Starting 16th in the 20-lap race, Duncan looked to have the fastest car on the track in finishing second. The 15-lap UMP Sportsman race had some controversy at the end. Tim Bohm had led from the start, with Jimmy Dehm in hot pursuit. Contact was made between the two drivers with three laps remaining. Bohm went to the back for spinning out and Dehm for disciplinary reasons. “I felt I had been more than patient for a handful of previous laps, showing him my nose and letting him know I was there,” Dehm said. “With four or five laps to go, Bohm slipped up coming off of turn two and I had a good run on him. We were door to door coming down the backstretch and when we got to the corner, we made contact. I held my line and got completely underneath him. “It was just a racing incident and even though I disagree with the call made by the officials, it is what it is. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing and be back next week. I am having a great time being back on the track.” “It’s called racing,” Bohm said. “I didn’t know he was under me. We bumped and I went around. I don’t like the call that was made. “If the officials thought I was in the wrong, I go to the back. If they thought Jimmy was wrong, he goes to the back. It’s done and over with. There are no hard feelings on my part and I hope Jimmy doesn’t have any, too.” Richie Rich was in the right spot to take over the lead just in time for the checkered flag to drop three laps short due to a time limit. “It’s not the way I wanted to win, but a win’s a win,” Rich said. “Jimmy’s a good driver and has a lot of talent. Timmy’s the same way. I was trying to hold on. The car was loose. I just hung in there.” Making her maiden voyage in the sportsman class, Amber Crouch had the driveshaft break in the car. The driveshaft dug into the track, causing Crouch’s car to roll onto its top. “I’m a little sore,” Crouch said, whose car rolled onto its top. “We will have to put some long hours in this week to get the car back together. Thanks to everyone for their support and concern.” Alex Clubb led flag to flag and won his second straight UMP street stock feature. “I couldn’t miss the tractor tire by the inside of the track,” Clubb said. “I don’t know if I hit it or someone else did. It looked like it kept on moving out onto the track. I could feel Rick Thomas back there. This is a great start for the season.” This Saturday night at the Fairbury American Legion Speedway will be a fan appreciation night. All adults will be admitted for $5. In addition, there will be a dash for cash for children ages 5-6. Fifty $1 bills will be placed on the front stretch and children will race to pick up as much cash as they can. Children will need to sign up at the front stretch. Five boys and five girls will be picked to participate. Gates open at 3 p.m. for the pits and front stretch and 5 p.m. on the backstretch. Hot laps start at 5:50, time trials at 6:30, and racing will follow. Friday night action has Farmer City with a regular show. Kankakee has a $1,000-to-win, UMP modified special. Lincoln will have a regular night of racing. In addition to Fairbury, LaSalle has a $5 fan appreciation night this weekend. Pontiac’s Route 66 Speedway will have another afternoon of kart racing Sunday. There will also be a Powder Puff race, paying $50-to-win.